NCTA offers ‘Adoption Plus’ plan to leap digital divide

The National Cable & Telecommunications Association is proposing a program – “Adoption Plus” or "A+" – designed to bring broadband access to students in need. The idea is to have the federal government fund computer literacy programs for qualifying middle school children; discounted computers would then be made available to these students, and if those two conditions were met, participating cable operators would offer entry-tier broadband service at a 50 percent discount.

Middle school students would qualify to participate if they were also participating in the school lunch program . There are about 3.5 million children in those grade levels in that program...